New York-style pizza dates back to the 17th century, when Spanish soldiers occupied Naples, Italy. One of the most popular snacks among the soldiers at the time was a fluffy, thin, crispy pastry with toppings on top called "Sfiziosa" by the Neapolitans, much like the New York locals who stacked a slice of pizza on top of each other and ate it as they walked. Those Spanish soldiers folded the flat pies into small book-like shapes and held them in their hands to eat them. One of the main characteristics of New York style pizza is that it's thin and has a chewier crust, but it's not all that defines New York style pizza. Many people might say it's not New York style pizza unless it leaves a trail of yellow grease on your elbow when you eat it. This is due to the high yellow grease cheese they use. Most New York pizzerias are said to use Grande's Mozzarella to achieve this characteristic. For New York-style pizza, fresh Mozzarella is not a choice, but a requirement. New York-style pizza is mostly baked in fireplace and stacked-plate ovens, and it uses a thin pizza sauce with only a few toppings. The dough is made from high-protein, high-gluten flour (usually 13.5-14.5% protein) and is slightly chewy. There's an old local legend that New York is the only place where true New York-style pizza can be made because of the city's unique hard water. New York does have a hard water source, but whether that's the secret ingredient is still a matter of debate.

Chicago-style pizza

One of the defining characteristics of Chicago-style pizza is the Deep Dish. Invented by Ike Sewel in 1943, Ike believed that if you made a pizza with a lot of toppings (especially sausage), it would be a great meal choice. He was right, so he opened a pizzeria called Pizzeria Uno, which specializes in deep dish pizza and started the Chicago-style pizza phenomenon. Generally speaking, Chicago-style pizza is better served with a knife and fork than with your hands because it is thick and heavy. The dough, contrary to many beliefs, is not very thick, but it has the texture of an American muffin and rises and holds all the toppings in a deep-dish baking pan that is dipped in flavor. The cheese is placed directly on top of the dough and then topped with the filling. The top is topped with cheese and thick pizza sauce, and a small amount of cheese is sprinkled sporadically on top of the pizza. The baking time is usually longer due to the total thickness of the pizza. The dough for this form of pizza is usually between 10.5 and 11.5% protein and is not fully blended. Use margarine in the baking dish to add a light, fried crunch, bring out the flavors and help remove the pizza from the baking dish.

California-style pizza

One of the defining characteristics of California-style pizza is the topping. California style pizza tends to use attractive toppings and combinations of toppings. However, it is difficult to determine the origin of California-style pizza, and some believe it began in the seventies or early eighties. Back in the seventies, creative culinary experts like Wolfgang Puck began experimenting with different, non-traditional toppings. Then, in the mid-eighties, the likes of California Pizza Kitchen (there's one next to the Portman Ritz-Carlton in Shanghai) started selling West Coast-style pizzas. The dough has the same protein content, but the dough is made complete until it is smooth. The dough is placed on a baking sheet and allowed to rise inch by inch. In many cases these crusts are double baked to help maintain the height after baking and it also helps to characterize the crunchy, light, porous, and fluffy crust that comes from the flour and leavening. Fillings tend to range from shrimp and lobster to smoked salmon and other seafood. Vegetarian combinations are also popular.

Pan Pizza

It's called pan pizza because it's actually baked in a pan, but it's more than that. There is oil in the skillet, which gives the bottom layer of the pizza a light crunch and a slightly different flavor as it bakes than a conventionally baked pizza. The pizza dough was a bit thicker, that was the result of fermenting the pizza dough in the baking dish before baking. Pizza toppings and cheese are usually unidentified for skillet pizzas and can be taken in any quantity. In the southeastern part of the United States, this style of pizza is usually recognized.

Thick style

Thick style pizzas are simply thicker versions of thin-base pizzas. They are usually baked in a sieve, round pan or directly in the oven. The height or thickness of this pizza is achieved by the weight and fermentation of the dough, however it is not fermented as thick as a skillet pizza. Pizza sauce and topping ingredients are added quickly after fermentation and baked in the oven in the usual manner. Baked pizzas are characterized by a proper thickness, a slightly crunchy bottom layer, and a moderately chewy texture. This type of pizza is not geographically specific; it is found throughout the United States.

Cracker and Thin Styles

Back in the 1950s, Pizza Hut's thin and crispy crusts were very popular, and they still are today. According to Tom Lehmann of the American Institute of Baking, the dough is mixed until a white flour is still visible (only about five minutes). The dough needs to be fermented for five or six hours, and must be pressed to get the desired thickness, the texture of a biscuit-like structure. On the other hand, the thin crust style is made by mixing the dough until it is smooth and then unrolling it by hand. The texture of a true thin crust should be crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. This type of pizza is usually properly topped with toppings and cheese, and works best with a thinner pizza sauce.

Take and Bake Style

This is the newest style in the evolution of pizza. It started on the West Coast with the Papa Murphy's pizza chain. The old pizza-loving American has probably heard reports of this pizza style in the past year or two, unless he's stuck in a desert isolated from the pizza world. These refrigerated, topped-cheese pizzas are just like any other pizza made by a pizzeria, with the only difference being that they are baked not by the pizzeria, but by the customer. The trend started near Oregon and Northern California and has spread rapidly eastward in the past two years.

Stuffed pizza

Some people confuse stuffed pizza with Chicago-style pizza. They may look similar, but they are very different. Stuffed pizzas start with a medium-thick dough or crust, then add pizza sauce, toppings and a layer of cheese. Another very thin layer of crust is then placed on top of the pizza's top toppings and then another layer of pizza sauce and cheese is added on top. It usually takes about 30 minutes to bake this type of pizza.

Focaccia Style

Focaccia style pizzas are distinguished from other types of pizza by the fact that they do not use pizza sauce. These pizzas start with a round, flat bread (focaccia) and range in thickness from 3/8 to an inch. They are brushed with oil, grilled vegetables and other toppings and can be found in many gourmet pizzerias. This style of pizza is the oldest style of pizza, and they were the first to be made before European explorers introduced tomatoes from Mexico and Central America back to Europe.

Other Styles

The type of crust is one of the things that separates the different styles of pizza. But perhaps pizza lovers will notice that the toppings and their placement also contribute to the differences. To make pizzas with regional flavors, pizzerias can use the same toppings as they do. For example, pizzas in the Pennsylvania and Ohio regions use Provolone more often than Mozzarella. The northern California region favors seafood and smoked salmon.